First Week

The first week of school has already come and gone.  Students arrived Monday ready to learn.  It has been a wonderful week and students are already settling into the routines of school and their new classrooms.  Please remember today was the last day for walking your child to his/her classroom in the morning.  One of the reasons we do this is to work with all students on the pillar of responsibility.  One of the first things teachers stress with students at the beginning of the year is responsibility. In every classroom, students are learning new routines and becoming responsible for their belongings.   Students in all grades should be carrying their own backpacks and lunch boxes and taking them to the proper place in the classroom or the hallway.  Would it be faster and easier for you to carry the backpack or help load and unload it for your child? Of course! And everything would be where it belonged and nothing would be forgotten. But then you would lose out on the opportunity to develop your child's sense of responsibility and to teach him or her valuable survival skills. It is okay to forget things once in a while, as it becomes a wonderful learning opportunity when it happens. Teachers don’t expect that students will automatically know how to do or remember all the tasks given to them. They have to teach and re-teach routines, but love to see the growth of a child remembering where things belong or what he/she needs to do next.  As parents, you have to do the same.  You set your own routines at home and often have to re-teach your children how to do a task or give gentle reminders for them get something finished. With patience and practice, students learn the new routines and can do things on their own, learning responsibility and feeling proud of themselves for what they have accomplished along the way.  We appreciate your assistance in helping all of our students learn the all-important quality of being responsible.

 

Notes, Reminders and Upcoming Events

·        - If your child was a student at Eagle Ridge Academy during the 2011-12 school year and took MCA tests last spring, the results will be mailed to your home next Tuesday. 

·        - Please make sure your child knows his/her car pick up number for afternoon pick up.  Lower School students are dismissed each day at 3:00.  Your child’s number will be called at least 2 times and written on the board.  If you child is not outside when the wave of cars is due to start moving you will be asked to pull over to the side and come inside to the lunchroom to retrieve your child.  Don’t worry we are still working with the Kindergarten students to teach them their numbers.  If you have Lower and Middle or Upper School students please do not come early.  Middle and Upper School students will not be in the lunchroom for dismissal until 3:20. 

·       -  Please note- We encourage students to not have Mohawks or Fauxhawks as they do not fit the spirit of our dress code.  If you have any questions about this please contact me at mbaier@eagleridgeacademy.org

I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!

Mrs. Baier

Welcome Back to School

Dear Families,

Welcome to the beginning of school of Eagle Ridge Academy…the countdown is going.  We are all looking forward to welcoming the students back on August 27^th for the first day of school.  This is the new Lower School Office Blog.  I will try to update it every two weeks with announcements, pictures, information, etc.  The link will be posted on the all school Notes and Reminders page on the Eagle Ridge Academy website.  I hope you will find it helpful and entertaining on occasion.   

It was delightful meeting many parents and students at Orientation on Wednesday evening.  If you were unable to attend Orientation, please contact your child's teacher and share the transportation plan for your child.

As you may know by now, there are not going to be any pre-scheduled visiting conferences prior to the start of the 2012-13 school year.  If there are things you would like to share with your child’s teacher prior to the start of school, please contact them and set up a time individually.

1^st week of school drop off/pick up information

§  School starts everyday promptly at 8:00.  Students need to be in their classrooms prior to this time each day.

§  Students may be walked to their individual classrooms the first week of  school ONLY.  Starting Tuesday, September 4^th all students must be dropped in the commons to walk to their individual classrooms. I would encourage parents to only do this on the first day.  As you know our hallways are tight and extra bodies make it difficult to get around.  In my experience children with separation issues do much better as soon as parents drop them off and leave the area.  I will be around in the hallways to help head off any issues and make the students comfortable “going to school.”

§  Pick up will start at 3:00 each day for everyone.  There will be no early pick up for LS students without US siblings.  We want to take advantage of every last minute of instructional time with EVERY student.  As of right now the dismissal/pick up procedures will be the same as last year.  Please check the transportation table at orientation if you have any specific questions.

Lower School Office

Check out procedures and pictures of the new Lower School Office.  If you have any "classical" decorations we could use for the many shelves you will see in the picture below, please let me know.  We will begin to display student artwork on those shelves as it becomes available this year, as well.

Lower School Office

The Lower School Office is a new initiative we are trying here at Eagle Ridge Academy this year.   We are hopeful it will prove to be a valuable resource moving forward.  Below you will find the guidelines* for its use.

The Lower School Office Is:

§  Open each day from 9:00-2:00

§  Your contact in the Lower School Office is Marilyn Strand.

§  If a Lower School student arrives at school after 9:00, he or she may be checked in at the Lower School Office.  Any arrivals between 8:00 and 9:00 will need to check in at the main office.

§  If a Lower School student needs to be picked up prior to 2:00, he or she may be checked out in the Lower School Office.  After 2:00, check out in the main office.

§  Between the hours of 9:00 and 2:00 forgotten items (lunches, books, etc.) may be dropped off with Marilyn in the Lower School Office.  She will make sure the students receive the forgotten item.  She will not deliver the item but will call the classroom and the item may be picked up at the teacher, EA, or student convenience.

§  A place to get questions answered or find resources, if needed.

The Lower School Office Is Not:

§  A place to drop off students in the morning before 9:00.  In order to control the flow of traffic in the morning Lower School parents must follow the all school drop off procedures.

§  A cut through to the main office or other areas of the building.  No parents or visitors will be allowed to enter the school through the Lower School Office unless they are scheduled volunteers in a classroom.

*New guidelines may be created as they are needed.  

Please contact me with any questions.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Baier